There are literally hundreds of potential villagers for you to meet while playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons — more than 400 of them, to be exact. However, you can only have up to 10 villagers living on your island at a time.

Fortunately, you have some control when it comes to determining who lives on your island. Trying to figure out how to get villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? We'll help you invite them. Trying to get rid of an annoying villager? We have tips for making someone move out. Want to know how to make your villages happy? We can help you there too!

What you'll need

To invite neighbours or ask them to move out in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch you're obviously going to need the console and the game. Maybe your old Switch is running low on battery life, if so a Nintendo Switch OLED might be calling your name. Here's everything you need for this how to:

How to get villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There are a few different ways to get villagers to come to your island. I'll list out the four different methods and then explain how each one works further in the article.

1. Visit an island using a Nook Miles Ticket
2. Talk to random visitors at the campsite
3. Scan an Animal Crossing amiibo card
4. Adopt another player's moving villager

By the way, we have an article on the most popular Animal Crossing villagers as well as our own picks on who the best Animal Crossing villagers are in case you want some ideas for who to invite.

Get Nook Miles Tickets

In order to recruit your first three villagers, you'll need to have some Nook Miles Tickets. These can be bought for 2,000 Nook Miles each from the kiosk at Resident Services and only become available after the first day of play. When the tickets are in your inventory, run to the airport and tell Orville, the dodo behind the counter, that you want to explore another island.

While you're exploring, you might come across a random animal NPC. Talk to them and invite them to live on your island. You might need to talk to them a few times before the invitation comes up.

Once the first three villagers have been invited and you're back on your island, Tom Nook asks you to scout out a plot of land for these newcomers (this happens after you've built Nook's Cranny). One of the new villagers you invited will appear on your island the day after you've completed setting up the new housing area. The other two will appear one day at a time after that.

Random visitors at the campsite

Things change once your island starts getting a bit more established. For instance, after you finally upgrade Resident Services from a tent to a proper building, you'll eventually be able to set up a campsite for traveling villagers.

Talk to these guests while they're visiting and you might be able to convince them to stay on the island. Campers might appear of their own volition or you can make one instantly appear by scanning their Animal Crossing amiibo card at the Resident Service kiosk. A camper that just randomly appears behaves a little differently than one that gets summoned with an amiibo card.

Villagers that just randomly appear at the campsite will want to play games with you. This usually takes the form of a card game of some sort where you need to guess the color or the suit of the card that the villager is holding. You can earn items from them if you win these games.

Eventually, you can even ask them to move in, however, they'll only agree to it if you can win their games. You'll need to talk to them multiple times to get to the point where you can suggest that they move in. However, if you already have 10 villagers, then the camper will decide who they want to boot from your island to make way for themselves. You'll have to decide if this is worth the exchange or not.

Dust off your Animal Crossing amiibo cards

All of those adorable Animal Crossing amiibo cards that you either just collected or have had on your shelf for a few years can finally be put to good use. All you need to know is how to use Animal Crossing amiibo.

Once the campsite has been built on your island, run to the Nook Stop kiosk and invite an animal to your campsite. You'll then need to scan your amiibo by hovering it over the joystick on your right Joy-Con. Shortly thereafter, you'll discover that a new camper has appeared on your island. Talk to them and convince them to move in.

Instead of playing games with them, you will need to convince them to stay by crafting multiple items for them and inviting them back several days in a row. Make sure to talk to them multiple times while they are on your island. If you already have 10 villagers on your island then you'll get to decide who gets removed to make way for the new resident. That's one of the reasons why using an amiibo is so much better, you actually determine who to boot rather than having the camper decide for you. More on that later.

Adopting villagers from other players' islands

Whenever a villager is planning on leaving an island, it will take them a full day to pack up their things before they actually leave. The internet has dubbed this as a villager being "in boxes." If you happen to visit another person's island while a villager is in this packing state, you can invite the homeless villager to live on your own island. However, you won't be able to adopt them if you already have 10 villagers.

Preparing land for new residents

As your island develops, additional villagers won't be OK with roughing it and will want a nice place to live. As such, when Resident Services is in a proper building, you'll be able to influence your island a whole lot more. Tom Nook will enlist you to help him sell land for housing development, which means you'll need to ready the land for your new residents. It'll cost you 10,000 Bells to set up each new plot, but you'll earn 1,000 Nook Miles for your efforts. Remember that you can have up to 10 villager houses on your island.

Pay Tom Nook the 10,000 Bells for a kit and then locate the perfect spot for a new home. Once a housing kit is placed, it will become a proper home the following day.

How to keep your favorite villagers happy

Now that your villagers are on the island, they're going to want to feel appreciated and liked. Keep them happy by doing the following:

• Talk to them every day
• Write them letters
• Fulfill errands for them
• Remember villager's birthdays
• Give your Animal Crossing villagers presents they will enjoy.

If you lavish your favorite characters with enough attention, they will eventually reward you with a physical token of their esteemed friendship: a framed photo of your villager.

Can Isabelle help me boot out a villager?

Contrary to how it might seem, talking to Isabelle won't make villagers leave. If you talk to her at Resident Services, there's an option to discuss a resident. If you select this option, you'll be able to select one of your villagers and tell Isabelle that either the way they talk or the way they dress is upsetting you.

This is mainly there so that you can reset a character's clothing or catchphrase in the event that another player gave them clothing with something inappropriate on it or taught them a rude phrase. Isabelle ensures that their clothes and catchphrase get set back to the default option.

How to make villagers move out

Every once in a while one of your villagers will walk around with a bubble over their heads. If you talk to them while they're like this, they might mention that they want to move away. If you don't want them to go you'll need to convince them to stay. Otherwise, you can tell them to hit the road. Unlike previous Animal Crossing games, a villager won't move out unless you tell them to. However, it's still a good idea to talk to troubled villagers to see what's on their minds.

As you keep playing, you might decide that you just don't care for one of your animal neighbors or that you're ready for someone new to join your village. If that's the case, there are a couple of ways that you can boot someone off your island. And no, smacking villagers in the head with a net won't make them leave, it only makes them sad or angry.

Here are the ways that you make a villager leave your island.

Additional methods for getting a villager to move out

1. Using the campsite and amiibo cards
2. Time traveling

1. Using the campsite and amiibo cards

If you've built the campsite and have Animal Crossing amiibo cards you can invite specific villagers to your island and hopefully convince them to move in. Thing is, if you already have 10 occupied houses on your island, then you'll have to choose which of your current residents gets the boot to make way for the camper you've just invited.

Visiting campers can be really hard to convince, though. You'll likely need to invite them to your island at least three times and craft souvenirs for them each day they visit. Make sure to check in with them multiple times each day to see if they're willing to move in permanently. I had to invite Flora three days in a row and craft her some furniture each day, before she became interested in staying. But, then I was able to choose which of my villagers I kicked off of my island to make way for her.

2. Time traveling

One way to make a villager move away is via time traveling. I'm personally not a big fan of this within Animal Crossing games since it feels kind of like cheating and it also has the potential to mess with your game. However, if you don't mind doing this then go for it. Just note that you don't get to choose which villager gets removed from your island. Here's how to do it.

1. Go into the System Settings menu on your Nintendo Switch.
2. Scroll down to System.
3. Select Date and Time.
4. Select Synchronize Clock via Internet to turn it off.
5. Change the date to two weeks from now.
6. Enter your Animal Crossing game and look for a villager with a thought bubble over its head.
7. Talk to this villager. If they tell you that they've been thinking about leaving, tell them to hit the road. If you don't want that particular character to leave. Tell them to stay. If you want to try again, set the date to two additional weeks away and once again look for the character with the thought bubble.
8. Change the date to the next day and the enter New Horizons again. The villager should have moved out and now you have a vacancy.
9. Now you can get another villager to move in by either using a Nook Miles Ticket to travel to an island and look for a new villager or wait and see who fills that villager's place. If a house is left empty for a few days, a new villager will automatically move in.

Gather all of your favorite villagers!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't make it terribly easy to remove unwanted villagers or add the ones you most want. However, if you are patient and put the time in, you can remove the villagers you don't like and fill your island with your favorite ones. 

This process is a whole lot easier if you own amiibo cards, so it's a good idea to acquire some if you haven't already. Unfortunately, since Animal Crossing amiibo cards are such a hot item, it's hard to find them selling in stores. Your best bet is to search third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay, and similar stores to buy the specific cards you need separately. 

Once you get your favorites on your island, you'll just need to maintain relationships with current residents and make sure they're happy. I hope you're able to find all of your favorite villagers and that all of your residents are able to get along well together.

If you're like me, then you have an adorable set of Animal Crossing amiibo figures as well as Animal Crossing amiibo cards sitting around your house somewhere. Each figure or card can bring a specific villager to the game either for a photoshoot or so that you can invite them to become a permanent resident. What's more, using amiibo cards, you can invite one of the 390+ villagers to your island to recruit them. Even more functions are available to those who purchase the paid DLC.

If you've been playing for a while and still haven't found out how to use amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can only use them once amiibo functionality has been unlocked. There are a few different places you can use amiibo including the Campsite, Harvey's Island, and The Roost cafe. On this page, we'll explain how to unlock amiibo functionality, what amiibo do in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and also explain how to use them.

What you'll need

To use amiibo with Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch you're obviously going to need the console and the game. Maybe your old Switch is running low on battery life, if so a Nintendo Switch OLED might be calling your name. Here's everything you need for this how to:

The amiibo figures vs. the amiibo cards

There are a few different ways to use amiibo in New Horizons. We'll step you through how to unlock each amiibo-related activity and how to use amiibo to bring characters to your island.

There are over 400 Animal Crossing amiibo that you can use if you count the 18 NFC figures and the hundreds of Animal Crossing amiibo cards. Both the figures and the cards feature NFC chips and get scanned the same way using your Nintendo Switch. However, in New Horizons, the amiibo cards are more useful since they allow you to invite new villagers to your island. The amiibo figures are fun to collect, but they can only be used to invite the unique characters they depict to photoshoot sessions while you're on Harvey's Island.

If you have your heart set on inviting a specific villager to your island, you might want to scour eBay for a particular Animal Crossing amiibo card as many sellers will let you buy them individually. But be warned. Some of the more popular villagers' amiibo cards are incredibly pricey.

A full list of Animal Crossing amiibo cards can be found on Animal Crossing's official website.

Sanrio amiibo cards

Now that the 1.9 update has gone live, Animal Crossing players can get six unique Sanrio villagers and their items by scanning Sanrio amiibo cards. Unfortunately, these cards are currently in limited supply and are hard to find.

New Series 5 Animal Crossing amiibo cards

The newest wave of Animal Crossing amiibo cards released November 5, 2021. There are 48 new cards total and six come in each pack. This set includes the newest characters added into the Animal Crossing franchise via New Horizons. For instance, the fan-favorite Raymond, Shino, and others.

How to unlock amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There are three different ways that amiibo can be used in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which means there are three different areas to unlock for amiibo usage. There's also a use for amiibo cards in the Happy Home Paradise DLC for those that purchase the expansion.  

Keep reading to learn more details about what each area offers along with more step-by-step instructions on how to unlock them. 

What can you do at Harvey's Island? Villager Photopia

If you've played Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you might recall a hippy dog named Harvey as one of the particular villagers. After a few days of playing in New Horizons, this dog will randomly appear on your island. Make sure you talk to him, and he'll invite you to visit his island home. The awesome thing is that the airport allows you to fly to him for free. No Nook Miles Tickets required.

Instead of foraging for materials, bugs, and fish, Harvey's island only lets you walk into Harvey's house. Once inside, you'll be able to set up a scene in one of his rooms and take pictures with your favorite villagers. That is, as long as you have that villager on your island or have a corresponding amiibo to invite them with. You can place different furniture, change the lighting in the room, and position your favorite Animal Crossing villagers in various locations before taking pictures with them. You can have up to 10 animal villagers in one room at a time.

However, it should be noted that not every amiibo works with New Horizons. So far, the game has warned me that Digby and Resetti can't be invited to Photopia. This had also been the case for Reese, Cyrus, and Rover up until another update arrived. I'm guessing that any amiibo figures that currently don't work with New Horizons will be usable once future updates are released.

If you scan a character's amiibo figure or card into the game while at Harvey's Island, a poster depicting that character will becoming available to purchase at the NookStop in Resident Services. This works even for characters that I wasn't able to invite into Photopia. All you have to do is go up to the kiosk, select Nook Shopping, and then press R to view all available posters. Use these awesome images to spice up rooms in your home.

How to use amiibo at Harvey's Island

1. Talk to Orville at the airport and tell him I wanna fly.

2. Next, tell him that you want to Visit Harv's Island.

3. Confirm that it's Time for takeoff.

4. After a brief cutscene, you'll find yourself on Harvey's Island. Enter Harv's house.

5. Now that you're inside, you'll find six different rooms that you can take photos in. To use your amiibo, press the down button on the left side of your Switch.

6. Hover your amiibo figure or your amiibo card over the NFC reader. If you're playing in handheld mode, the NFC reader is near the right joystick. If you're playing with the Pro Controller, the NFC reader is over the Nintendo Switch logo. The characters you scan will appear in the room. You can have up to 10 animal villagers in a room at a time.

7. While still in this viewing mode, hover over the character and more options will appear on the screen.

8. You can make them emote by pressing ZR and then selecting one of your available Reactions.

9. If you hold down A while highlighting a villager, you can pick them up and then place them somewhere else in the room.

10. If you want to select multiple characters, hold down the R button and then highlight the characters you want to move.

11. Quickly tapping A while hovering over a villager makes that character rotate 45 degrees.

12. If you decide you want to remove a villager, hover over them and then press Y.

Brewster and the Roost

Once unlocked, a cute little coffee shop makes its way into the museum. You'll be served by a returning favorite character, Brewster. He's a pigeon with a formal look. You can build his cafe, The Roost, in your museum and even allows you to invite any character that has an amiibo card, even characters like Resetti and Digby who aren't in New Horizons. Sometimes, they'll bring a friend along with them.

How to find Brewster

There are a number of things you need to do to unlock Brewster. Make sure your island meets these requirements and then go on the miniquest to unlock the Roost when you can.

1. You must have built the museum and have the artwing.
2. Donate at least one fish, bug, fossil, and art piece to the museum.
3. Have a three-star rating on your island. You can check with Isabelle to see where your island currently sits.
4. When those requirements are met, talk to Blathers and he'll mention his friend Brewster.
5. Run to your island's pier and go on an Island Tour with Kapp'n.
6. You'll see Brewster on the island. Talk to Brewster and relay Blathers' message.
7. Head back to the museum and tell Blathers what happened.

Your museum will immediately close for construction, but when you get on the next day the new cafe will be in place along with Brewster.

How to use amiibo at Brewster's The Roost cafe

You don't have to do anything extra to unlock amiibo scanning at the cafe. I've tested amiibo figures and amiibo cards, including ones for characters that don't appear in New Horizons, and so far they have all worked.

1. Interact with the yellow amiibo telephone in the left side of the room.

2. Select Yes!

3. Select Yes, I am.

4. Scan your amiibo figure or amiibo card by hovering it over the joystick on your Joy-Con. If you're using the Pro Controller hover it over the Nintendo logo in the middle. Note that you can only have one amiibo guest at a time.

5. The character you requested will appear after a short cutscene. You can talk to them and sit with them. If you use a Reaction while sitting with your guest, they'll respond. Sometimes the things they do might surprise you.

6. If you're done talking to this character and want to invite another one, simply go to the telephone and scan another amiibo card. Note that this will make your first guest leave.

That's all there is to The Roost cafe! Enjoy sipping joe with your favorite characters. You might just learn something new about them as you talk.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise paid DLC

Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise is the first and only paid DLC for New Horizons. With this new content, players can create vacation homes for various villagers. If you scan an Animal Crossing amiibo card, you can invite that specific villager as a client and create the perfect getaway just for them.

How to unlock the campsite

The campsite allows random villagers to appear on your island, which gives you the option of inviting them to live their as pemanent residents. If you have amiibo cards, you can use them to ask specific villagers to your campsite. To be more precise, the character depicted on the card gets invited to your island.

Note: You can only use Animal Crossing amiibo cards here. None of the characters that have been turned into amiibo figurines can be invited to the campsite.

Steps for building the campsite

You'll need to complete several steps to build a campsite. Here's what you need to do to unlock the campsite and invite villagers to your island using amiibo:

1. Upgrade Resident Services to a building
2. Build a campsite
3. Invite a visiting villager to live on your island
4. Build additional homes on your island
5. Wait for the villager to move in
6. Use the NookStop kiosk at Resident Services

We'll go over all of these steps in more detail below. 

1. Upgrade Resident Services to a building

You must first take all the steps necessary to upgrade Resident Services from a tent to a building to unlock the campsite's amiibo functionality. If you haven't gotten that far yet, click the link above to go to a guide.

2. Build a campsite

Once you've upgraded Residential Services, Tom Nook will tell you that he's interested in opening a campsite. He'll then ask you to stake out a plot of land specifically for this purpose. After selecting a location for the campsite, you'll have to wait for the next morning. The campsite will appear on your island the next day, but you won't get any visitors until the following day after that.

3. Invite a visiting villager to live on your island

The first animal NPC that comes to the campsite will be chosen at random. When someone does appear in the tent, you can invite them to live on your island simply by talking to them. You'll need to play some games or crafting items for them in order to convince them.

4. Build additional homes on your island

Now it's time to talk to Tom Nook at Resident Services. Since you're inviting even more villagers to your island, this loaded raccoon will tell you that more houses need to be built to accommodate everyone. He'll then give you a housing kit and will ask you to pick a location for this new home. Run around your island and select the perfect place for your new villager to live. You'll need to wait until the following day for this new house to show up on your island.

5. Wait for the villager to move in

You're going to have to do some waiting. It takes a day for the house to show up after you've chosen a location, and then it takes another day for the new villager to move into your island.

6. Use the NookStop kiosk at Resident Services

Once the new villager has moved in, head back to Resident Services and talk with Tom Nook. He'll tell you that he wants to bring even more villagers to the island. Now, run over to the Nook Stop kiosk and interact with it. He'll tell you that you can now use Animal Crossing amiibo cards to invite more villagers to the island. Just note that you can only have one camper per day.

How to invite villagers to the campsite using amiibo

Now that you've unlocked the ability to use amiibo cards, it's time to learn how to scan them in and convince campers to move into your island. You're going to have to scan a villager's card multiple days in a row if you want them to become a resident of your island. Here are the steps needed to acquire a new villager using amiibo cards.

1. Interact with the kiosk at Resident Services.

2. Select invite a Camper.

3. Select Yes, I do!

4.  Scan the amiibo card you want to use.

5. The kiosk will identify the character on the card. Now select Yes!

6. After scanning your card, a cutscene will play, showing the invited camper. Run to your campsite and enter the tent.

7. Talk with the villager a couple of times until they ask you to craft something for them.

8. Agree to their request. They might even give you a new recipe in the processes.

9. This villager will leave your island by the end of the night, so be sure to craft the requested item and give it to the camper before they're gone.

10. The camper is closer to being persuaded, but they won't be ready to move in just yet. The following day repeat steps 1 - 9.

11. After giving them an item on the next day, talk to them several times to see if they are interested in moving in. You might have to invite them back one more time and craft them another item before they're willing to move in.

12. If they agree to become a resident but you already have 10 villagers on your island, then you'll need to choose which of your current villagers gets kicked off the island.

How to use amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There you have it. As long as you have either the Animal Crossing amiibo figurines or the amiibo cards, you'll be able to invite characters into your game by merely scanning the NFC chips. Remember that the cards are more useful when it comes to getting the villagers you want to live on your island, although the figurines are just too cute to pass up.

Enjoy your game! I hope you're able to get all of the villagers you want to come to your island.

Trying to get your hands on the best Nintendo Switch games that have released so far? There are plenty to choose from, and more awesome titles continue to come out every few months. Nintendo has you covered whether you're looking for open-world RPGs, strategy games, competitive racers, or local co-op games to share with a friend. These are the best Nintendo Switch games of all time that have released so far.

Note: Most Switch games require you to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online. Additionally, N64 and Sega Genesis games can be accessed via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. 

Best Switch action/adventure games

Action/Adventure and Role-playing games (or RPGs) have long been one of the most popular genres in gaming. The basic idea is that players take on the role of a singular character or a team of characters and then explore a world. Among the most popular options within this category are open-world RPGs, action RPGs, turn-based tactical RPGs, JRPGs, and much more. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Zelda series is one of Nintendo's most popular IPs, but the latest entry took that popularity and blew it out of the water with the stunning masterpiece that is Breath of the Wild.

Players start with absolutely nothing except for some shorts and some vague notion that the main protagonist, Link, has been asleep for 100 years. You can quickly acquire clothing, weapons, horses, abilities, and items by exploring the land. This is an open-world game, and you could go straight to the main boss if you wanted to. However, Hyrule offers so many exciting locations and secrets to discover that you willingly run off in another direction just to reach that strange structure on the horizon or that large beast flying in the distance.

Weapons break after a few hits, so you need to learn to manage your inventory and use more powerful swords on the right enemies. The 120 Shrines and four Divine Beasts you're tasked with visiting offer the puzzle-based gameplay we've come to know and love in Link's travels. However, they are much smaller than the dungeons we've seen in past Zelda games, which has been a downside for some long-time Zelda fans. Something that makes up for it is that there are often multiple ways to solve puzzles, so you can get creative instead of figuring out what specific tool needs to be used in any given area.

TL;DR: This is the perfect title for anyone who loves action RPGs and open-world adventures. It won Game of the Year at the 2017 Game Awards and has been praised as having one of the most clever physics systems ever created. As we explained in our Breath of the Wild review, the game allows you to solve puzzles and challenges in various ways. Years after it was released, people are still discovering new things to do in-game. If you're looking to add the best Nintendo Switch games to your library, then you really can't pass up Breath of the Wild.

More Zelda fun

• Skyward Sword HD: It's the earliest game in the official Zelda timeline and explores the origins of the Master Sword. This HD release fixes many of the issues people had with the original Wii version.
• Link's Awakening: Link washes up on Koholint Island, far away from Hyrule, Ganon, and Zelda. Here he must delve into dungeons and uncover the mystery of the Wind Fish. This is one of the whackiest, quirkiest, and most endearing Zelda adventures in the series.
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity: This is a hack-and-slash prequel that explains the events leading up to the story of Breath of the Wild. You get to play as Zelda, Link, Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, Impa, and others.
• Tears of the Kingdom: This upcoming title, commonly referred to as Breath of the Wild 2, is currently in the works with a May 12, 2023 release. So far, we've seen that something has happened to Link's hand giving him strange new powers. We've also gotten a glimpse at a ruined Master Sword, so it will be interesting to see what the plot is about.

Pokémon Sword / Pokémon Shield

Players travel around a fun U.K.-inspired world with a mixture of 400 old and new creatures to catch. The goal is to use your Pokémon to defeat every gym leader before taking on the champion and proving that you are the best Pokémon trainer of them all. When you have more gym badges, you're able to catch Pokémon at higher levels.

You can see Pokémon wandering around in the Wild Area before battling them, and you can take on massive Gigantmax Pokémon with friends in online multiplayer. You will need to trade with other players to complete your Pokédex and catch every Pokémon. As we said in our Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass review, if you choose to purchase the DLC, you can explore two new locations, face new challenges, and catch even more Pokémon than there were in the base game.

The Crown Tundra part of the DLC even allows you to capture Legendary Pokémon from past Pokémon titles and makes shiny hunting much easier. The games are simple enough for kids to enjoy and complex enough for more intensive players to sink their teeth into.

TL;DR: The most essential Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch are definitely Sword and Shield. Players run around a UK-inspired fantasy world collecting creatures with elemental abilities like fire, water, grass, and electricity. You'll strategize your Pokémon's attacks against your foes' weaknesses to beat every gym leader and prove that you are the greatest Pokémon trainer of them all. As we said in our Pokémon Sword and Shield review, it wasn't as innovative as we hoped, but it's still really fun to play.

Catch more Pokémon in these games

• Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Gen 9 games provide players with new Pokémon to catch and new locations to explore in the first-ever open-world Pokémon adventure. 
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus: This game breaks the traditional Pokémon mold as an action RPG that's set in the ancient Sinnoh region. There's crafting, new Pokémon variants, and more. Run around fighting and capturing the Pokémon you run into.
• Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: These are remakes of the classic DS games. They offer new experiences in addition to updating the original adventure.
• Pokémon Unite: Command one Pokémon in a group of five as you fight opponents and attempt to score points in this free-to-play MOBA game.
• New Pokémon Snap: Take pictures of over 200 creatures while exploring the Lental Region. If you pay attention, you might even see Mythical or Legendary Pokémon.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem has been around since the early 90s, but while the franchise performed really well in Japan, it's only more recently that it's seen huge success in North America. Three Houses has sold more units than any entry in the series before it, and for good reason.

Players take on the role of Byleth — a mercenary who can be either male or female — that gets roped into becoming a professor at the Officer's Academy in Garreg Mach Monastary. Here, the player is introduced to the students and chooses to align with one of the three houses: Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer. Each house comes from a different area of the continent and deals with political issues happening back home that affect how they see each other. You make plenty of decisions and the choices you make lead to different endings. You can even romance various characters if you say the right things.

As a professor, you take charge of your students in battle telling them where to move, who to protect, and which units to attack. Then you have to wait and let the enemy make their move before going again. Each character has specific strengths and weaknesses against other characters. For instance, archers are powerful against Wyvern Riders but are weak to most melee attacks. So you need to place your units strategically and level up their skills at the school to make them more powerful. It's a truly satisfying game that makes you feel like a clever tactician. Plus, permadeath is optional and you can rewind a few steps if your team is in trouble.

TL;DR: Fire Emblem: Three Houses was a hit when it released in 2019 and is the best-selling Fire Emblem game of all time, and that's for a good reason. As I said in my Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, This is the perfect game for anyone who enjoys complex RPGs, strategic gameplay, and Harry Potter. Players take on the role of a mercenary and direct students under their command into battle in turn-based tactical rounds.

More Fire Emblem games

• Fire Emblem Engage — You play as a young person named Alear who can either be male or female. They are a Divine Dragon and have been awake for 1,000 years, but must now jump to action again to save the world from a terrible evil. Players collect fighters to their side along with classic warriors from previous Fire Emblem games like Marth and Byleth. It's your job to employ them strategically on the battlefield. 
• Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes — Though not a core series game, this spin-off revisits the students at Garreg Mach in an alternate universe, where key events from the main game have been changed. You still get to choose which house to team up with and while there isn't turn-based tactical elements, players can still strategize by commanding units to specific places in action RPG battles.

Luigi's Mansion 3

Luigi's Mansion 3 opens with Luigi, Mario, Peach, and some Toads getting invited to a luxurious resort. However, the hotel transforms into a spooky place run by ghosts on their first night, and everyone is caught except for Luigi. The green plumber must travel to the tip-top of this skyscraper hotel, defeating ghosts and exploring the fun themes of each floor along the way. It can be hard to angle the Ghostbusters-like vacuum at some points, though.

The spectral opponents he goes up against are incredibly silly and will have you laughing with their hijinks. A good chunk of the puzzles requires Luigi and Gooigi to work together. If you're playing solo, you'll be able to swap between the two characters. However, if you pass a controller to a friend, they can control Gooigi while you control Luigi. They each have some skills that the other doesn't, encouraging you to work together.

Whether you're playing with a younger child or a peer, Luigi's Mansion 3 is a fun co-op game to share with others, which makes it one of the best Switch games of all time. I only wish it was longer since this game only takes about 13 hours on average to beat.

Bottom line: I said in my Luigi's Mansion 3 review that I loved every moment and didn't want the plot to end. That's because this is one of those games that is so packed full of comedy and fun puzzles that you'll absolutely love it from start to finish. Best of all, once you unlock Gooigi, Luigi's gelatinous assistant, near the start of the game, you can experience the full adventure with a buddy in two-player co-op.

Best Switch platformers

Nothing is quite as Nintendo classic as Switch platformers, so it's not surprising that there are dozens of awesome options on the console. This genre requires players to run through levels scaling raised areas or "platforms" while being very particular with when and where they press specific buttons. Some of these can be extremely challenging, while others are more laid back. 

Super Mario Odyssey

In many ways, Super Mario Odyssey's gameplay is similar to Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. But in his latest adventure, the plumber must collect Power Moons instead of Stars. He needs them to unlock new locations so he can attempt to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser's clutches.

After his trusty hat gets destroyed, Mario meets a new friend named Cappy, who can change into various hat forms. With this new partner's aid, our little mustachioed plumber acquires new attacks and abilities previously not seen before in the Mario games. For instance, the ability to throw Cappy and hit enemies at a distance. Or my favorite: mind control any enemies whether they be small Goombas or a big T-Rex.

You can even play co-op with one person taking control of Mario and the other controlling Cappy. This makes Super Mario Odyssey a fun game to play with your kids, younger siblings, or one of your friends.

TL:DR: As we said in our Super Mario Odyssey review, this game is an action/platformer that revitalized the Mario series. It employs similar mechanics found in classic games like Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy while introducing several new experiences, such as mind-controlling enemies with a talking hat. You can play on your own or invite a friend to play in co-op mode. The unique worlds are bursting with character, and you can even dress Mario up in various outfits to help him fit into his surroundings.

Other Mario platformer games

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury: Up to four players run around freeing Sprixies from Bowser's clutches while playing as either Mario, Luigi, Peach, Blue Toad, or Rosalina.
• Paper Mario: The Origami King: With its charming diorama aesthetic, this adventure makes light of Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom as you battle office supplies, evil paper mache, and zombie origami characters.
• Mario Maker 2: Love playing Mario sidescrollers? You can design your own and share them with others online. Since you can also play online creations there's always something new to do.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

It's the general consensus that Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the very best Kirby game to release in a very long time. The locations are gorgeous, the characters cute, and the puffball's new powers are incredibly memorable. It even offers two-player co-op.

After getting sucked into a black hole that appeared in the sky that sends him to a land of ruins, Kirby meets a flying blue creature named Elfilin. It soon becomes apparent that a group of evil-doers wants to catch her. So Kirby screws up his courage and travels around to several different platforming levels to save her and figure out what brought him to this strange land. 

This is a far more forgiving platformer than most since Kirby can hover in the air if he misses a safe landing area. Plus, his Copy Abilities allow him to suck in almost ever enemy and acquire their powers. But nothing is quite as hilarious and powerful as his new Mouthful Modes, which allow him to wrap himself around objects like a vending machine or car. It's a silly, laid-back game for people of all ages. 

TL;DR: In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby finds himself in a strange land with vine-covered ruins. It's up to him to explore, save the Waddle Dees, and fight big bosses using his Copy Abilities and platforming prowess. Play on your own or with a buddy. 

Best Switch Life Simulators

It's a funny, almost ironic reality that people find life simulators to be one the most relaxing ways to escape stress from your daily responsibilities. But in replicating a simplified life, it can give us more control. There are farming sims, dating sims, pet sims, and so much more. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing might seem like a simple island getaway experience, but it's a rather complex simulator. Players arrive on a deserted island with almost nothing to their name but can slowly upgrade their getaway by gathering and then selling bugs, fish, and harvested materials to pay off loans from Tom Nook, a tanuki or raccoon tycoon. As you acquire more DIY recipes, you can craft more items to fill your island with beautiful things.

The game follows a real-time clock, so when it's nighttime in real life, the stars are out over your virtual island, and your animal villagers are asleep in bed. Stores and shops within the game have business hours, so you need to plan your time accordingly to see what clothes and furniture are in stock when things are open.

Different experiences are available throughout the year, including seasonal activities that coincide with real-world holidays. However, one of the big complaints from players is that many of the holiday activities feel the same, just with different themes. Also, if you don't want to lose your progress, you'll need to backup New Horizons manually as it doesn't offer cloud saves.

You can keep the fun going by purchasing the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise DLC which allows you to design vacation homes for animal clients. There are new buildings to unlock, new items to decorate with, and you can even scan amiibo cards to invite specific villagers into the game. Once you complete the DLC, you can even go back to your home island and redecorate your villager's houses.

TL:DR: As we stated in our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review, this game was released just as the world needed it most. It's a chill life and farming simulator that helps both kids and adult players relax while making friends with animals on a tropical island. You can end up spending hundreds of hours fishing, acquiring furniture, collecting creatures for a museum, upgrading your house, and decorating your island just the way you want it. With its relaxing charm, there's a reason why this title has been one of the most successful games to launch on the Nintendo Switch.

Best Switch multiplayers

One of the things that really makes Nintendo Switch stand out from other platforms is its focus on multiplayer split-screen games that several players can experience from one console. Some games can even host as many as eight players as long as you have enough controllers or Joy-Cons to go around. It's also worth noting that some Switch games offer multiplayer but require each player to have their own Switch, so you want to check for that before making a purchase. 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the quintessential racing game on Nintendo Switch. You can play on your own, or if you have enough Joy-Cons, up to four players can share a screen and compete against each other. If you have a young child who wants to play, just turn on Smart Steering to prevent them from falling off the track, going backward, or bumping into the walls.

There are 48 tracks and a large cast of 41 popular Nintendo characters, including Link from The Legend of Zelda, Inklings from Splatoon, Bowser from the Mario games, Isabelle from Animal Crossing, and more. Another thing that makes it fun is you can hurl silly weapons like cartoon bananas or shells at your friends to get ahead.

Really the only downside is that playing on your own isn't nearly as fun as playing with friends. Fortunately, if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you can race with players all around the world, so you'll always have someone to play against.

By the way, there's also an augmented reality racing game called Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, where players race a real-life remote control kart around their homes using the Nintendo Switch while seeing opponents and items on the Switch screen. Mario Kart enthusiasts will love it.

TL:DR: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling game on Nintendo Switch as well as one of the best multiplayer games on the console. Up to four players can race against each other while sharing one screen; so as we said in our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review, it's the perfect party game for friends and family. Choose from a large cast of Nintendo characters and attack your fellow racers with silly weapons like bananas or shells to get ahead. The optional child controls make this a great game for people of all ages.

Other Mario sports fun

• Mario Tennis Aces: Play against others or take on the single-player campaign as you work on your backhand on quirky tennis courts.
• Mario Golf: Super Rush: Run around the golf course playing as one of your favorite Mushroom Kingdom characters. There are unique challenges at each location and special moves for each player.

Among Us: Crewmate Edition

This social deduction game takes its cues from the party games Werewolf and Mafia. Each character is tasked with fixing sections of a spaceship, but some of you are actually imposters bent on sabotaging the experience for everyone else.

If a player spots something shady, they can call a meeting, and then the players discuss who they think the imposter is. If enough votes are cast for a specific player, that player is thrown out the airlock, and the game continues until the imposters win by killing everyone or the real crewmates win by fixing the ship or tossing the imposter.

One of the best things about Among Us is that the game supports cross-platform play. Meaning, Switch players can play with folks who are playing on their phones, PC, or other Switch consoles. It's easy to pick up, making it a great game for all ages. The only downside is that Switch players cannot type as quickly as other players, so the discussion sections might feel more limited. The trade-off is that buttons and joysticks can make it easier to run around the ship and accomplish certain tasks.

TL;DR: Among Us has become the go-to multiplayer game for millions of people around the world. Players take on the role of astronauts trying to repair their ship. However, things take a Mafia or Werewolf turn as some of the players are imposters seeking to sabotage and kill off the rest of the crew members. You'll need to use your social deduction skills to determine who are the real crewmates and who is out to destroy everything. A typical session usually results in raucous laughter and plenty of finger-pointing. It's a hilarious time.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

There are 74 playable characters like Pikachu, Cloud Strife, Toon Link, Bowser, Star Fox, and more. Each character has their own skillset and signature moves that are in line with the games they come from and can be used to propel you to first place. Unfortunately for many fans, Waluigi still has not been added to the roster.

When there are enough controllers to go around, you can play locally with up to eight players. If friends aren't available, you can always compete against others online or check out the solo game modes to keep you entertained. Just note that the online component uses peer-to-peer servers instead of dedicated servers. So, if someone you're playing against has a bad internet connection, it can cause serious lag and other complications for all players involved in the match.

Purchasable DLC includes additional characters, stages, and music. For instance, the very last fighter to be added was Sora from Kingdom Hearts and a little while before that we got Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 added to the roster. Not to mention, Nintendo is making amiibo for every Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter. You can train and level up your favorite character and then save your stats to the corresponding amiibo.

TL;DR: This is seriously a great party game, and as we said in our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review, we can't recommend it enough. Up to eight players can compete against each other on one screen. You'll choose from a roster of 74 popular characters from various games and then use their specific skills to defeat opponents. There's also a fantastic single-player component as well as online multiplayer modes to keep you entertained even when friends aren't available.

Mario Party Superstars

Mario Party Superstars is one of those games that you can pick up and play at any time. It's perfect for family nights, birthday parties, get-togethers, or just about any other occasion. Up to four players can enjoy the game together from one Switch and choose from a roster of Mushroom Kingdom characters. The goal is to rack up as many Stars as you can while going around a virtual board game. At the end of each round, players are slotted into different groups and compete in minigames to earn Coins.

There aren't quite as many game boards as in previous Mario Party titles with only five options to choose from, but they are classic boards from the N64 era. There are also 100 classic minigames from throughout the series including ultimate best minigames like Bumper Balls, Face Lift, and Bowser's Big Blast.

If you don't have any friends around who can play Mario Party Superstars with you, you can go online and compete against specific friends or random people around the world. You can even use character stickers to express how you feel during different moments. This is important because the game doesn't offer voice chat. Still, it is sure to get you and your crew hollering with laughter in no time.

Bottom line: Whether you're having a get-together, sleepover, or family reunion, Mario Party Superstars is one of the quintessential party games on Nintendo Switch. Up to four players play on a virtual board game as their favorite Mushroom Kingdom character and then participate in minigames at the end of each round.

Other Mario Party fun

• Super Mario Party: was the first Mario Party game to release on Nintendo Switch. Many consider it one of the worst games in the series. So if you're looking for Mario Party, make sure to get Superstars.

Best Switch Metroidvania

Classic Metroid and Castlevania titles introduced a brand new category that put a focus on non-linear exploration and upgrades within a challenging environment. It didn't take long for fans of the genre to smash the names of the two games together to formally categorize this kind of gameplay as a Metroidvania. This is an especially good category for players that like a challenge. 

Metroid Dread

Samus has landed on the planet ZDR to answer a mysterious transmission, but it's all a trick to trap the bounty hunter. Upon landing, she gets hunted by vicious EMMI robots that can kill her with one hit. She'll need to use her stealth abilities to avoid them and explore caverns to become more powerful. The boss fights are incredibly challenging but are worth the experience once you've done it. Samus also gets to show off a few new suit designs along the way, some of which are freaking cool.

The soundtrack meshes perfectly with the gameplay while the visuals are gorgeous and together they will keep you wanting to dive further and further into the story. There are also plenty of puzzles to solve along the way. There are two things to keep in mind: It's very easy to get lost, so you should check your map frequently to see where you are and where you haven't been yet. And secondly, the EMMI robots are relentless and can get a little old after a while. So, you'll just have to learn how to avoid them properly with those new stealth techniques.

All in all, this is one of the very best Metroid games to ever have released. It's a fitting way to bring Samus to the Nintendo Switch.

TL:DR: As we said in our Metroid Dread review, this is a gorgeous return to form for Samus. It had been over 19 years since a brand new sidescroller Metroid game had released and this entry doesn't disappoint. You'll need to platform and blast your way through tricky enemies and a host of Metroid Dread bosses as well. It's a challenging yet rewarding game that really goes back to Metroid's roots.

Best Switch fitness games

Ring Fit Adventure

Ring Fit Adventure might seem like a workout gimmick that doesn't actually do much. While it won't produce a mind-blowing fitness regimen for hardcore workout enthusiasts, it is a fun way to bring cardio, stretches, and even yoga into your daily routine. The best part is you don't even have to leave the house or get a gym membership to exercise.

This fitness game is more expensive than most other Switch offerings because it comes with a Leg Strap and Ring-Con accessory. As such, it's only available as a physical copy. These devices allow you to slide Joy-Cons into place and then can measure how far you run or how hard you push and pull on the Ring-Con for various exercises.

For those of us who aren't particularly thrilled by the idea of jogging, there's also a fun RPG plot for you to focus on to make the workout sessions more interesting. Dragaeux, a super muscular bro type of dragon, is causing chaos, and it's up to you to defeat him and his minions… with squats, jogging in place, and ring squeezing. If you're consistent, this game can really get your heart going and help you get into shape. You'll take several breaks from running to fight enemies, which is good or bad depending on what you're looking for in a workout game.

TL;DR: As we showed in our Ring Fit Adventure review, this fitness game provides an impressive workout. You'll jog in place with Joy-Cons strapped to your leg to make your on-screen character run forward. And then, the Ring-Con allows you to work your arms and do various stretches and core exercises. This game costs roughly what you'd pay for a one-month gym membership, but you can use it in the comfort of your home.

Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise

As we said in our Fitness Boxing 2 review, this exercise game costs less than Ring Fit Adventure while also being easier to use. You get to choose your instructor and then they'll lead you through various workouts that begin and end with warm-up rounds. You'll be bouncing back and forth the entire time, which gives your legs a good workout too. 

Just make the various punches or duck when your instructor tells you to and you'll find your heart pumping in no time. As is often the case with exercise, you will need to push yourself to work harder and hold yourself to some accountability or else you won't get as much out of your sessions. However, the flexibility of being able to work out from home without having to pay to go to a gym is wonderful. 

TL;DR: Fitness Boxing 2 can really make you work up a sweat while having you stick to quick punches and ducks in time to music. You hold the Joy-Con in either hand and the game senses when your fist strikes or your body crouches. It will also keep track of your progress. 

More workout fun

• Nintendo Switch Sports: While not a game that can give you a serious workout, the Wii Sports successor can get you moving while swinging your Joy-Con to play games like bowling, volleyball, tennis, and even soccer.

More of the best Nintendo Switch games

The best of the best are listed above, but other amazing Nintendo Switch games are out there. Here are some more of the best Switch games you can buy.

Quick list of the 67 best Nintendo Switch games

These are the very best of the best Nintendo Switch games you can buy. This list is not in any particular order.

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• Pokémon Sword / Pokémon Shield
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Pokémon Unite
• Nintendo Switch Sports
• Spiritfarer
• Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
• Super Mario Odyssey
• Mario Party Superstars
• Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
• Among Us
• Nintendo Switch Online
• Nintendon Switch Online + Expansion Pack
• Hades
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Cadence of Hyrule
• Miitopia
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
• Splatoon 2
• WarioWare: Get It Together!
• Minecraft
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
• Luigi's Mansion 3
• Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee!
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
• Oxenfree
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
• Super Mario Party
• DOOM
• Borderlands Legendary Collection
• Metroid Dread
• Triangle Strategy
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Astral Chain
• Super Mario Maker 2
• Hollow Knight
• Mario Tennis Aces
• Slay the Spire
• Paper Mario: The Origami King
• Ring Fit Adventure
• Cuphead
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
• Overcooked! 2
• LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2
• Super Mario 3D All-Stars
• Octopath Traveler
• Untitled Goose Game
• Celeste
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• ARMS
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
• Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing Double Pack
• Stardew Valley
• Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• Bayonetta 2
• Yoshi's Crafted World
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
• New Pokémon Snap
• 1-2-Switch
• NEO: The World Ends with You
• Kirby Star Allies
• Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

Should you buy a digital game or a physical game?

It depends on how you want to play since there are perks on both sides. With digital games, you don't have to worry about losing an expensive cartridge and don't have to pack a bunch of physical games up when you travel. Your games get tied to your account, so if you were to lose your Switch, you'd be able to access the digital games you previously purchased after buying a new console. Additionally, going digital means you can download games immediately from the eShop instead of requiring you to wait for an Amazon package to be delivered or making you run to the store for a physical copy.

However, there's something nice about the tangibility of physical games. Some game cases come with extras like stickers or posters. After you've beaten the game, if you decide that you don't like it enough to keep it, you can always sell the physical copy to a used-goods store and put that money towards acquiring another game.

How to purchase digital games from the Nintendo eShop

For those who decide that you want to go the digital route, here's how to purchase games from the Nintendo eShop. By the way, you can easily purchase a Nintendo eShop Gift Card for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

1. From the Nintendo Switch's main menu, select Nintendo eShop. You'll be taken to the Featured section of the eShop.
2. You'll see various categories like Recent Releases, Great Deals, and Best Sellers. You can also use the search bar at the top of the screen to find a specific game. Tap the image of any game you're interested in.
3. Select Proceed to Purchase.
4. Enter your payment information.
5. Wait for the game to download. If the game is currently available, you'll be able to play it as soon as it finishes downloading. If the game hasn't been released yet, you'll be able to play the moment it launches.

Is gameplay different between Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite?

Unlike the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED, the Nintendo Switch Lite doesn't include detachable Joy-Cons, motion controls, or rumble. Any game that relies on these features won't work on the Switch Lite unless you have external Joy-Cons or a Pro Controller handy. Also, you cannot play many multiplayer games on the Switch Lite screen unless you also have detached Joy-Cons to pass out to friends.

One other thing: The Nintendo Switch Lite does not have a kickstand, so if you do want to play a game on this system while using external controllers, you'll definitely want to purchase a Nintendo Switch playstand.

Do you need to buy a microSD card for Nintendo Switch?

We highly recommend a microSD card for your Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite, seeing how these consoles only have 32 GB of internal storage and the Switch OLED only has 64GB of internal storage. That means that you'd only have room for up to three large Switch games before running out of space. And if you're the kind of person who loves taking videos and screenshots of your gameplay, you'll get even less out of it.

To help you out, here are the best microSD cards for Nintendo Switch. If you're not sure how much space you need, check out our guide for which size microSD card is best for Nintendo Switch?

Do I need to buy amiibo?

Nintendo has created hundreds of small figurines with scannable NFC chips inside of them known as amiibo. Thing is, amiibo are not necessary for you to be able to enjoy most Nintendo Switch games. For the most part, these statues are simply fun collector's items that can unlock small in-game perks when scanned on your Nintendo Switch. However, using certain amiibo scanned with specific games can be very useful.

The Legend of Zelda amiibo, for example, provide some awesome additions to Breath of the Wild. Using specific figures, you can unlock special clothing items, Wolf Link from Twilight Princess who fights alongside you, or even a ridable Epona from Ocarina of Time.

If you want to display these figurines somewhere or really like the perks that come from scanning a specific amiibo, you might just want to buy them. Otherwise, these are not a necessary purchases.

Animal Crossing is sneakily one of the best Nintendo Switch games for Halloween. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy leading up to the last day of October when Jack, the self-proclaimed "reigning Czar of Halloween," makes his appearance. Not sure what this guy's deal is? Well, we're here to tell you all about it and how to prepare to meet him.

Note: In order to participate in the Halloween festivities, Resident Services must be upgraded in your game. 

How to get ready for Halloween

Here's what you should be doing throughout October to get ready for Halloween night in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There's plenty to do making this one of the best Nintendo Switch games for Halloween.

• Buy candy every day in October: As we mentioned before, Jack will ask for treats on Halloween, and if you don't comply, he'll be unhappy. With this being the case, we recommend having a stash of at least 15 pieces of candy on your person throughout the day. The thing is, you can only purchase one piece of candy per day from Nook's Cranny, so spend the month of October adding to your candy horde.
• Grow pumpkins for DIY recipes: You can grow your own little pumpkin patch. Once you have some available, you'll be able to craft them into special Halloween decor.
• Buy candy from friend's islands. When you visit a friend's island, you can buy candy from the Nooks, even if the island's owner already bought their candy for the day.
• Get DIYs while visiting others' islands. When visiting a friend's island, check in on the resident making a DYI. If it's a recipe you already know, that resident will give you a piece of candy instead.

Animal Crossing Jack the Czar of Halloween

On October 31, players will get to celebrate Halloween festivities with their villagers and a special holiday character named Jack. Jack is a specter with a pumpkin head who has appeared in several previous Animal Crossing games.

Jack start time and date

• Date: October 31
• Time: 5:00 PM to Midnight (your local time)
• Where: Somewhere near Resident Services

Starting at 5 PM, spooky music starts to play, and a creepy atmosphere fills your island. Villagers will either decide to stay inside their homes to give out candy or will dress up and wander about outside looking for candy.

What to do on Halloween

• Dress up!: Get your avatar all dressed up using your favorite Halloween costumes and face paint.
• Have candy on you: You're going to want to give candy to Jack and your villagers, so make sure to have a decent stash on you at all times.
• Meet Jack: Jack will appear on your island near Resident Services and will ask for candy. Oblige his sweet tooth and he'll reward you with Spooky Set decorations or even a Jack costume. You'll be able to give him multiple pieces of candy as the night goes on.
• Go Trick or Treating: Starting at 5 PM, go outside and give each of your villagers candy, or ask for candy from them at their homes. Some of them might reward you with something extra special.

What happens if I don't have any candy?

If one of your villagers or Jack asks you for candy and you either don't have any candy for them or choose not to give them any, they will play a trick on you. This might include painting things on your face or swapping your clothes for something different. Then they'll likely still give you something else. So if you don't want them to play a trick on you, you should always have candy on you.

How to dress like Jack

Yes, you can acquire Jack's ensemble in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It will make for an awesome Halloween costume. Here's how to get both his robe and his head.

Tips and tricks for Halloween & Jack

• Get multiple pieces of candy from villagers: Each of your villagers will decide to either stay inside and give out candy or dress up and go looking for candy. Villagers giving out candy in their homes will hand out another piece to you every five minutes or so. To get candy from a villager outside, simply enter a building, exit, and then return to that villager to get another piece. If you're lucky, they will give you a lollipop.
• Collect lollipops for Jack: Jack loves lollipops and will reward you with special gifts for giving them to him.
  • Lollipop #1: Spooky Carriage
  • Lollipop #2: Spooky Carriage DIY Recipe
  • Lollipop #3: Spooky Wand DIY Recipe

• Jack's Animal Crossing amiibo card is now working!: Jack's Animal Crossing amiibo card can be purchased on Amazon. When players scan the card at Harvey's Island, Jack will appear for you to pose with. Have fun taking pictures with this spooky specter.
• Don't leave your candy on the ground: Ants will quickly swarm on your hard-earned candy if you drop it outside somewhere. You're going to have to put it somewhere safe or keep it in your inventory until Halloween night.
• Keep open slots in your inventory: If Jack tries to reward you with something, but you don't have room to receive his gift, then you're going to have to take time away from the Halloween activities to drop things off somewhere. Save yourself the hassle and make room before doing anything else on Halloween. We recommend having at least five slots open.

Jack's amiibo Card

If you happen to have Jack's amiibo card, you can invite him to The Roost for coffee or to Photopia for a photoshoot. If you happen to have the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise DLC, you can also scan his card to create his dream getaway.

Happy haunting!

That's everything you need to know about Jack. The actual day of Halloween is an exciting one as your villagers get all dressed up and a special visitor named Jack comes to your island. 

Make sure to stock up on candy throughout October, so you're ready for his arrival on October 31. Then on the day, do all you can to acquire lollipops and then give them to Jack so he rewards you with fun items. 

Now that October has officially begun, you can start dressing your Animal Crossing avatar up for Halloween! When the Fall Update first hit in 2020, new body paint options and eye colors were added. But just how do you access these cool new looks? We're here to help you. Here's how to unlock Animal Crossing body paint and new eye colors and how to get all dressed up for Halloween.

How to unlock body paint and new eye colors

Unlocking these customization options in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is very easy. Just follow these steps to make it happen.

1. Head to Resident Services.

2. Interact with the Nook Stop kiosk.

3. Select Redeem Nook Miles.

4. Scroll down and select Body-Paint Costume Tips or Exploring New Eye Colors. They each cost 2,400 Nook Miles.

5. Select Redeem. A ticket will print out and your character will automatically learn these new customization options.

Now that you have the body pain and eye colors, you just have to apply them to make your character look different. Continue on to learn exactly how to use body pain and eye colors. 

How to use new body paint and new eye colors

Now that you've unlocked them, you just need to know how to use them. The secret is having a mirror. These can be crafted at a DIY station or purchased when they appear in Nook's Cranny. Here's how to apply body paint and eye colors.

1. Go interact with a mirror.

2. Select Change it up!

3. Choose the body paint color you want to use.

4. Press the R button twice on the controller to rotate over to the Eyes section of the menu.

5. Select the eye color you want to use.

6. When you're done making your selections, press the + button to finalize your look.

Now that you've got access to all of the new body paint and eye colors, you can perfect your avatar's look by getting dressed in festive costumes. You can find cool clothing options at Able Sisters so keep checking back each day to see what's in stock.

Animal Crossing Body paint and new eye colors

Wahoo! Now that you're all dressed up for October's spooky day, it's time to start decorating. There are plenty of pumpkin things to craft to get your island all spruced up for Halloween. Of course, acquiring real-life Animal Crossing goodies is also a fun thing to do.

Good luck decorating. I hope you can get your island looking just the way you want it to.

There are so many things to collect in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, whether that be fish, bugs, clothes, recipes, or dozens of other things. Once players take the necessary steps to invite Redd the fox to their island and upgrade their museum to allow for an art gallery, they will also have the opportunity to collect iconic statues and classic paintings. But buyer beware! This little fox is, in fact, a scammer and sells forgeries along with genuine articles. Here's how to tell if you're buying a fake in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Get Redd on your island

Before you can start collecting artwork, you first need to take the necessary steps to bring Redd to your island. This involves talking to Blathers, spotting Redd the fox on your island, buying art from him, and then donating it to the museum so the owl can open an art gallery.

How to tell if Redd is selling a fake painting or statue

Each of the pieces that you can purchase in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is based on a real-life work of art. Forgeries look very similar to the originals, but usually have one incorrect thing about them. For instance, the figure in the painting might be pointing in the wrong direction or someone's clothing might be a little different. If you can pull up a picture of the original work of art, you can spot the difference between the fake and the real deal. 

All paintings and statues

Unfortunately, while the in-game artwork is based off of classic works, they are given different names in New Horizons. Here are images of all of the real-life pieces you can buy along with their New Horizons names and their real-world titles. Compare these images with what Redd is selling to see if they are genuine or not.

All paintings in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Here are all of the paintings that players can obtain in Animal Crossing. They're listed alphabetically by the name given to them within New Horizons.

All statues in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Here are all of the statues that players can obtain in Animal Crossing. They're listed alphabetically by the name given to them within New Horizons.

All haunted art

Some of the fakes that you purchase will turn out to be haunted and are fun to collect just for that reason. This fun twist on collecting is just another reason that Animal Crossing is one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there. 

• Fake Graceful Painting — The back side has a water stain that looks like a person.
• Fake Scary Painting — The face has a weird smile. 
• Fake Wistful Painting — The eyes close at night. 
• Fake Ancient Statue — The eyes glow and the statue hovers if you go up to it and press A. 
• Fake Informative Statue — It glows blue at night. 

The real deal

Animal Crossing makes it fun to collect paintings and statues by making you work to figure out which ones are real. Redd is a slippery little guy and sometimes fakes are harder to spot than others. Even then, the fakes can be fun to collect as they provide a slightly different look from the famed works. Not to mention, having haunted art in your home or on your island is pretty cool. 

Now that you know what the original artwork looks like, you'll be more likely to be able to spot a fake. Pay close attention to hand positions, accessories, and markings to be able to identify Redd's forgeries in New Horizons. You'll be able to fill up your art gallery in no time.

Life is pretty awesome on Animal Crossing's deserted island. There's plenty of lush foliage, and the ocean is serene. You can almost forget that you're still seriously in debt to a trash panda. But the loan is always there, looming over you. Of course, if you're looking for a way to make some money, you should be on the look out for valuable critters and items that you can sell to Timmy and Tommy Nook.

When you're running around your island or whenever you visit another island using a Nook Miles Ticket, you're going to want to make sure you fill your pockets with the most valuable items. Trying to figure out how to get a lot of Bells in Animal Crossing? Here's a list of the most valuable fish, bugs, sea creatures, and shells along with how much you'll get for selling them at Nook's Cranny.

Did you know there are some cute Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch accessories? You should check them out and see if anything catches your eye.

Most valuable fish in Animal Crossing:New Horizons

I've included anything you can catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that nets you 15,000 Bells to 1,000 Bells. They are listed from most valuable to least. In my opinion, it isn't worth collecting fish that are worth less than 800 Bells, unless I'm planning on turning them into Blathers at the Museum.

Pro Tip: Consider stocking up on the most lucrative fish and then selling them to C.J. the fishing champ when he visits your island. You'll make a ton more money that way since he pays visitors 150% the number of Bells that you'll get from Nook's Cranny.

All the fish you can catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Here's a list of all of the fish you can find in the game listed in alphabetical order and how much they sell for at Nook's Cranny.

Most valuable sea creatures in Animal Crossing:New Horizons

Sea creatures are listed from most valuable to least valuable. Anything that sells for less than 1,000 Bells wasn't included. If you'd rather see a full list of all the sea creatures found in the game, we organized them alphabetically too.

All sea creatures in Animal Crossing:New Horizons

Here's a list of all of the sea creatures you can find in the game listed in alphabetical order and how much they sell for at Nook's Cranny.

Most valuable bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Bugs are listed from most valuable to least valuable. Anything that sells for less than 1,000 Bells wasn't included. If you'd rather see a full list of all the bugs found in the game, here they are in alphabetical order.

Pro Tip: Consider stocking up on the most lucrative bugs and then selling them when bug enthusiast Flick visits your island. You'll make a ton more money that way since he pays 150% the number of Bells that you'll get from Nook's Cranny.

All bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To make things easier for you, we've also listed all the bugs in New Horizons in alphabetical order. Here's every bug and how much it sells for at Nook's Cranny.

Most valuable shells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There aren't that many kinds of shells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As such, I've included all 12 of them from most to least expensive. Don't worry, we also sorted it all out in alphabetical order for you too.

All shells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

In case this makes it easier for you, I've also included a list of shells in alphabetical order.

Bring in the Bells! 

With all of the Bells you collect from selling the most valuable fish, bugs and sea creatures in New Horizons, you should be able to pay off your loans in no time. Plus, you can use your cash to purchase all of the nifty decorations and furniture you can find in the game.

One of the best Nintendo Switch games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, allows you to decorate your house with custom furniture or to clothe your character with fan-made outfits. Since New Horizons, New Leaf, and Happy Home Designer allow you to create and share your own designs, fans have been able to use some awesome clothing patterns, artwork, and furniture for their islands. We've even seen some awesome Zelda outfits, for example.

We've rounded up the best QR codes for streets and paths as well as the QR codes for clothing, memes, and fan art to get you started. You can also import other people's designs using either a QR code, a Creator ID, or a Design ID (although you can't edit them). Thing is, the process for getting other's designs into your New Horizons game is kinda tricky. But don't worry. We're here to show you how to use QR codes, creator IDs, and design IDs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

What are Creator IDs and Design IDs?

Every player in Animal Crossing: New Horizons has their own Creator ID, which is a string of numbers that allows players to search for designs created by specific players. Similarly, every design you make within the game gets its own Design ID. That way, you can give your IDs out to friends or people online making it easier for them to download and use your images, patterns, or clothing in their own New Horizons games. This customization is what makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there.

The thing is, you can only use Creator IDs and Design IDs if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, have unlocked the Able Sisters clothing store, and have a good internet connection. In case you haven't done it yet, here's a guide for how to bring the Able Sisters tailor shop to your island.

How to share your Creator ID and Designs

Creator IDs and Design IDs only become accessible once you've unlocked the Able Sisters clothing store. You could get someone else's Zelda outfits for example. Here are instructions for how to find your own Creator ID and how to share your designs with others.

How to access the Custom Designs Portal

There are two ways to access this portal. You can either do so by using the kiosk inside the Able Sisters clothing store or by accessing the Custom Designs Portal through the Nook Phone design application.

Here's how to access the Custom Designs Portal in the Able Sisters store:

1. Go to the Able Sisters clothing store.

2. Head to the back and interact with the pink kiosk.

3. Select Access the kiosk and then wait for your Switch to connect to the internet.

Access the portal from your Nook Phone

Sometimes the Able Sisters store is closed, making it impossible to access the Custom Designs Portal. Luckily, Nintendo created a way for night owls to access the portal via their Nook Phone. Here's how:

1. Open your Nook Phone with ZL and select the Custom Designs app.

2. Press X.

3. Follow the prompt to access the Custom Designs Portal.

How to find your Creator ID

1. Access the Custom Designs Portal by either interacting with the pink kiosk at the Able Sisters Store or by pressing X in the Custom Designs app on your Nook Phone.

2. After you've created a design and posted it to the portal, your Creator ID will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. Simply send it to anyone who you want to share it with.

How to share your Designs

1. Access the Custom Designs Portal by either interacting with the pink kiosk at the Able Sisters Store or by pressing X in the Custom Designs app on your Nook Phone.

2. Select Post.

3. Choose the design that you want to share.
   • For patterns, stay on the Custom Designs tab. To choose from PRO Designs for clothing press the R button.

4. Select Post.

5. The game will create a new Design ID that others can search for. If your Switch is already connected to your Twitter or Switch account, you can select Share It and it will post to your accounts. Otherwise, write down the code and give to to a friend or post it for others online to use.

6. Complete the process to post the design. 

How to search for other players' Creator IDs and Design IDs

How to search for a Creator ID

1. Access the Custom Designs Portal by either interacting with the pink kiosk at the Able Sisters Store or by pressing X in the Custom Designs app on your Nook Phone.Source: iMore

2. Select Search for Creator ID.

3. Enter the ID that you're looking for. Creator IDs always start with MA-.

4. Select Confirm.

5. Your game will search for the code and then bring up any IDs connected to it. Select a design you want to look at.

6. If you want to use the design, select Save.

7. Select Close.

8. Select a PRO Pattern that you're willing to overwrite.

9. Select Overwrite it.

How to search for a Design ID

1. Access the Custom Designs Portal by either interacting with the pink kiosk at the Able Sisters Store or by pressing X in the Custom Designs app on your Nook Phone.

2. Select Search for Design ID.

3. Enter the ID that you're looking for. Design IDs always start with MO-.Then select Confirm.

4. Your game will search for the code and then bring up any IDs connected to it. If you like the look of the design select Save.

5. Select Close.

6. Select a PRO Pattern that you're willing to overwrite.

7. Select Overwrite it.

Custom Designs Patterns+

In the October 2021 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the debut of Custom Designs Patterns+ NookPhone app with the 2.0 update on Nov. 5, 2021. Players can select patterns normally used to customize furniture and apply them to clothing designs. These patterns can also be used to decorate the floor, or be used as wallpaper and flooring patterns.

Things you'll need to scan QR codes

You'll need to have the following three things in order to scan QR codes into Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

1. A Nintendo Switch Online account/nintendo-switch-online.
2. The Nintendo Switch Online app for your iOS or Android device.
3. You need to unlock Custom Design Pro Editor by purchasing it with Nook Miles from the kiosk at Resident Services.

• Note that you cannot scan multiple designs at once. You'll need to bring them into New Horizons one at a time.

How to scan QR codes

If you happen to be online and you see someone else's awesome Animal Crossing creation complete with a QR code, here's how to scan it.

1. Open the Nintendo Switch Online app on your phone.
2. Tap on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons button.
3. Now it's time to turn to the Nintendo Switch. Go to Animal Crossing: New Horizon's opening screen.
4. Go to settings by pressing the minus button on the left side of your Joy-Cons or controller.
5. Tom Nook appears to tell you about setting options. Select NookLink settings.
6. Now select Yes, please. This will allow your game to connect with the phone app.
7. You'll need to restart the Nintendo Switch Online app on your phone. Once that's done, open it up again.
8. Select the Animal Crossing: New Horizons button again.
9. Then select the Designs icon.
10. Select Scan a QR code.
11. Scan all QR codes. Note that clothing designs will have four codes that you need to scan.
12. The design you scanned will appear in the app. Select Save.

Finish the process on your Nintendo Switch

1. Enter your New Horizons game. Press ZL on the left Joy-Con or left side of the controller to bring up the NookPhone.
2. Select the Custom Designs app.
3. Press the + button on the right side of your Joy-Cons or controller.
4. Select Download.
5. Select OK when the pattern you scanned with the app appears in the game.
6. Now choose an open pattern slot for this new design.
7. Select Overwrite it.
8. Now the design is in your New Horizons game and ready to use. Simply select the design to use it.

How to make your own QR codes

There are a few different ways to create QR codes for your designs. If you happen to own Animal Crossing: New Leaf or Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo 3DS, you can create and share QR codes from those games. However, if you don't have those games then you're going to need to use acpatterns.com. This website allows you to scan in pre-existing images and convert them into a format that can be used within Animal Crossing. Just be aware that these converted images will be very pixelated and won't look nearly as good as the originals.

Another thing you will want to keep in mind is the size. If an image is too large it will need to take up more than one cube of design space. It will also download as multiple QR codes. If you don't plan to use the design on multiple side-by-side items or as standalones, a wide or tall design will probably not look right. The more square an image space is, the better it will fit into the design pattern.

1. Go to acpatterns.com then select Editor.

2. If you want to draw something from scratch, use the drawing tools provided. If you want to convert an existing image like a meme, select Convert.

3. Upload the image that you want to use.

4. Adjust the settings until the image looks the way you want it to. Then select Convert!

5. You might want to touch the picture up using the drawing tools. If you like the way it looks, select Generate QR Code.

6. Scan the QR code using the NookLink section of the Nintendo Switch Online app. For instructions on how to do that go here.

Let the creativity flow! 

There are so many creative people out there making awesome designs for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Whether you've created something in New Leaf, Happy Home Designer, acpatterns.com, or New Horizons, you can share your creations with others. Have fun finding the perfect outfits and furniture patterns. I hope you can deck out your island with some fan-made designs you absolutely love.

One of the best Nintendo Switch games of 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons features all sorts of weather and seasonal changes. Still, there's something else you will definitely want to watch the skies for: meteor showers! If you're lucky enough to wish upon shooting stars, your island will be blessed with Star Fragments - rare crafting materials. You can use shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to D.I.Y. all sorts of things, and we have the complete list.

What are shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Much like in real life, shooting stars are meteors - pieces of asteroids or comets that have broken up and burn as they enter the atmosphere. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, these meteor showers last for several hours, nine hours to be precise. From 7 PM until 4 AM, hundreds of shooting stars will cross the skies on your island, but only on especially clear nights. Fortunately, if you're talking with your villagers daily, they will let you know when a meteor shower is going to happen. Then, just follow these easy steps:

1. Pick a nice spot with a clear view of the horizon.
2. Tilt the right joystick up to look up at the sky with empty hands.
3. Wait for a shooting star.
4. Press A to make a wish.
5. Repeat.

And just like that, you've lit up the stars shooting across the sky. You can keep doing this until 4 AM when the shower will end. Don't get discouraged if it seems like the shooting stars have stopped sooner than that. They tend to come in waves, with lulls in between.

Why should you watch for shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Aside from being pretty, there's an excellent reason to watch the meteor showers: Star Fragments. By wishing on a shooting star (or lots of them!), you can make sure those meteors land on your island. When you wake up the next day, you will find Star Fragments washed up on the shore, just like seashells. 

Depending on how many shooting stars you wished upon, you can find a lot of these Star Fragments. They come in multiple different varieties and are a rare crafting material. Since this is the only way to get Star Fragments and meteor showers are relatively uncommon, you'll want to make the most of the nights when you have the chance. During any meteor shower, you can earn several normal Star Fragments and a couple Large Star Fragments.

You can also earn a few Zodiac Fragments based on the date of the shower itself:

• Aquarius Fragment: January 20 until February 18
• Pisces Fragment: Feb 19 until March 20
• Aries Fragment: March 21 until April 19
• Taurus Fragment: April 20 until May 20
• Gemini Fragment: May 21 until June 20
• Cancer Fragment: June 21 until July 22
• Leo Fragment: July 23 until August 22
• Virgo Fragment: August 23 until September 22
• Libra Fragment: September 23 until October 22
• Scorpio Fragment: October 23 until November 21
• Sagittarius Fragment: November 22 until December 21
• Capricorn Fragment: December 22 until January 19

Fortunately, you can get a lot of fragments from one meteor shower. For my first meteor shower, I earned 31 Star Fragments, seven Aries Fragments, and two Large Star Fragments. However, many have suggested there is a limit of 20 total fragments when you wish on stars on a friend's island. So far, I've not been able to earn more than 20 from friends' meteor showers, but this hasn't been officially confirmed.

Shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nook Miles too!

Wishing on shooting stars will also count towards the Nook Miles+ Program challenges. That translates into a bunch of Nook Miles and six title keywords. It takes 200 wishes to complete all three challenges, but you can easily do this in one meteor shower.

Shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Can my friends come too?

Absolutely! Life is better with friends, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no different. If you have friends who play Animal Crossing too, open up your island and invite them over for the meteor shower! Throughout the evening, I was able to invite over five different friends to my first meteor shower via online multiplayer, and each of them found Star Fragments on their beaches the next day. Just keep in mind that you have to leave your island open the entire time your friends are visiting. 

Each friend coming and going will tie up your game for a little bit during which you could be missing out on shooting stars. You might want to coordinate with your friends to arrive before the shower starts, to wait to leave until everyone is finished, and use Dodo Codes, so other friends aren't just randomly popping in and out.

Kapp'n's Island Tours Star Fragment rocks

As part of the new Animal Crossing 2.0 update, players can now go on one island tour with Kapp'n each day. These tours can take you to a variety of islands with different seasons, times of day, and items. There's even an island that gives Star Fragments when you hit the rocks.

Landing on this island is likely very rare, but it will help you gather up those precious Star Fragments more quickly so you can get to building those awesome Shooting Star DIY recipes.

Shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Celeste

Once you have all these Star Fragments, you might be wondering what to do with them. Well, unfortunately, you might be stuck waiting. Eventually, Blathers' little sister, Celeste, will come to visit your island. Some players have reported it taking nearly three weeks for her to show up, others met her much sooner, and some have yet to meet her. When she does show up, however, this owl will give you new recipes to use your Star Fragments.

Shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — D.I.Y. Recipes

There are several D.I.Y. Crafts to be made using Star Fragments. Most of these recipes come from Celeste on her rare visits, so make sure you're checking around your island often after sunset. If you find Celeste and talk to her, she will likely gift you with a recipe. If you show her one of the special Zodiac Fragments, she will also tell you a story about the Zodiac in question. There are a few recipes obtained in other ways, in particular seasonal event items, and more may be discovered in the future.

Magic Wands

The first DIY recipe you can get from Celeste is for a Magic Wand. The Magic Wand lets you change clothes between eight different outfits in the same way your Tool Ring lets you switch through preset tools. 

There are many varieties of Magic Wand you can craft, but for each, you need to collect a different D.I.Y. Recipe:

Note: While you can carry the variants of the Magic Wand and use them the same as the Magic Wand, regardless which you use, they all pull from the same set of eight outfits. You cannot save more than eight outfits at a time, no matter how many wands you have.

Zodiac Furniture

Each month, in addition to Star Fragments, you can also collect special Zodiac Fragments after wishing on stars. These fragments can be taken to Celeste, which will prompt her to share a story about the Zodiac sign and a recipe for a piece of Zodiac Furniture:

Because these recipes and Zodiac Fragments are only available during their respective months, without time traveling, it will take roughly one year to complete each.

Other Recipes

While best known for the Magic Wand and Zodiac Furniture, Star Fragments are used in many other recipes. Most, if not all, of these recipes are obtained from Celeste, but more may come in the future. These are all the ones we know of so far:

Wishin' and dreamin'

Celeste's presence has been greatly expanded in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is one of the best Nintendo Switch games. Magic wands allow players to change their outfits on the fly, and the space-themed furniture is great for decorating both your house and your island. For collect-a-thon fans, earning these DIY recipes over the course of a year is fantastic.

The island customization in Animal Crossing: New Horizons through terraforming is one of the reasons it is on the list of best Nintendo Switch games. Plus, it is one of coolest ways you get to make your island paradise your own. Create rivers, ponds, and cliffs, lay down custom paths, and more! Of course, you can't terraform right off the bat; you have to earn it first.

Though the feature looks cool (and it is), it takes quite a bit of work to unlock. You won't have it for at least a week or two after getting the game (unless you Time Travel), and when you unlock it, you'll only have limited options until you buy the rest with Nook Miles. But don't worry. We have everything you need to know about unlocking and then using the terraforming option in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

How to unlock terraforming

Terraforming is given to you after the completion of Project K. Once K.K. Slider has performed his first concert, Tom Nook will visit you and give you the Island Designer app on your Nook Phone, allowing you to begin terraforming your island.

However, at first, you won't be able to do much. You'll be able to lay dirt paths and replace grass. You won't have the ability to shape water or cliffs yet, either; you'll need to unlock those separately.

Unlocking waterscaping and cliffscaping

Fortunately, unlocking water and cliffscaping is not too hard to do so. Both waterscaping and cliffscaping are available via permits you can purchase at the Nook Stop terminal in Resident Services. They cost 6,000 Nook Miles each, so they can be a bit pricey.

But at this point, you'll also have unlocked both Nook Miles+ as well as the daily bonus task to get 5x the miles. Depending on how much you play, it might take several in-game days to get both, but if you're not quite to the end of Project K yet, it's easy enough to save up the Miles ahead of time.

As of the 2.0 update, you'll be able to add more bridges and inclines to add a little something extra to your waterscaping and cliffscaping. Now islands can have a max of ten bridges and inclines.

How to get more path options

Like waterscaping and cliffscaping, if you want more options for the kinds of paths you lay, you'll need to pay up in Nook Miles. Additional paths cost 2,000 Nook Miles each (the Custom Design path costs 2,300) and come in the following options:

• Arched tile
• Brick
• Dark dirt
• Dirt
• Grass
• Sand
• Stone
• Terra-cotta
• Wooden
• Custom design

The good news is, the Nook Miles purchase is a one-time fee. Once you own the path, you can lay down as much as you want -- no crafting or extra purchases needed.

The art of terraforming

Once you have all your tools, it's time to get terraforming. To start, simply open the Island Designer app on your Nook Phone and choose "Start Construction!" You'll be given a shovel and a hard hat, and a new option will appear in the top right of your screen to choose the kind of construction you want to do. Remember that you cannot terraform with your island's gates open or with guests over.

Hit the + button to open it, and you'll see the different paths you've unlocked, as well as waterscaping and terraforming icons in the bottom corners if you've unlocked them. Select the one you want to work with.

Paths

When you've selected a path, simply press A, and your character will paint one "tile" of space in front of them with that path. You can keep doing this to get the shape of a path you want. If you place a path tile accidentally, simply press A again to erase it (you can also switch to grass tile to swap it back to its original form).

If your path has "corners," then pressing A a second time on a corner will not erase the path, but will instead "round" the edge to make it look smoother. If you're trying to erase it, just press A again, and it will be gone. But rounding corners is a great way to make your paths look more natural.

Keep in mind that you can't terraform over furniture, dropped items, trees, flowers, houses, or anything else that's already on the ground. You'll have to move those things first before you can lay paths.

Waterscaping

Waterscaping works similar to laying paths, except pressing A will automatically either dig a hole and create a tile of water (if there is no water there already) or fill in an existing body of water with one tile of dirt.

If you're interested in fishing, you probably will want to be aware of the difference between rivers and ponds. It can be a bit difficult to figure out where one transitions into the other. Still, the general rule is that if a body of water is long enough to flow, is connected to the ocean, or connected to a waterfall, it counts as a river. Rounder, more enclosed bodies of water count as ponds.

To tell the difference, cast a fishing pole into the body of water. If the bobber moves "downstream" gradually, you have a river. If it stays in place, you have a pond. Keep this in mind, as some fish can only be found in rivers or ponds specifically, and some can only be found in one body of water or the other at the top of a cliff.

You can create waterfalls by waterscaping on the edges of cliffs -- no need to waterscape at the bottom unless you want to. Be aware; you can't waterscape over curved cliff edges — only straight ones.

And like with paths, you can "round" the curves of rivers by pressing A on a tile a second time after placing it.

You cannot waterscape on the beach.

Cliffscaping

Cliffscaping is a bit trickier than the other two. Just like before, pressing A will create or destroy one tile of a cliff in front of you. If you're already on top of the first "level" of cliffs, you'll create a second level above you. You can build a third, even taller layer, but you won't be able to climb up on top of it. It's just for show.

You must always be at the "base" of the cliff you want to build. So you'll always build up. You can't destroy a cliff while standing on top of it.

As with waterscaping, you cannot build cliffs on top of furniture, trees, flowers, or other obstacles on the ground. You'll have to move them first.

Also, as with waterscaping, you can "round" the corners of cliffs by pressing A a second time on corner tiles. Pressing it a third time will destroy the cliff tile.

You cannot build cliffs on the beach.

Tips and tricks

• You can't terraform at all (or even open the app) if you have your gates open.
• You can use waterscaping to make small islands in the middle of rivers that your character will be able to jump to. This is a free way to cross rivers without a vaulting pole or bridge!
• If you place a bridge, the game won't let you lay pathing right up to the edge of it. However, if you put the pathing down first and then the bridge, it won't erase the path that's already there.
• For some reason, your animal villagers seem to like to congregate around you whenever you're terraforming. There's not really a good way to prevent this; just be aware that they like to disrupt things.
• You can place rivers or ponds anywhere you want, but you can't move the river mouths (where the rivers exit to the ocean), nor can you make your own.
• You cannot terraform on the Plaza, the beach, or the rocks around the beach.
• Selecting "Request cleanup" will clear all furniture and items on the ground that are in your way and send them to the Recycling Box in Resident Services, making it easier to continue terraforming without filling your pockets.
• Though most paths can be "rounded" on the edges to look more natural, custom designs cannot.
• Flowers and trees can grow in dirt paths, and fossils can appear underground on them. This does not work on stone paths, however.

Get creative!

There are so many fun designs possible with all these customization options. This and the other ways to customize your island makes it one of the best games you can pick up for you your Nintendo Switch if you haven't already. Have fun testing things out and working to achieve your ideal island look.

September 2022: Updated formatting.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the best Nintendo Switch games and has hundreds of villagers for you to meet, each with distinct personalities, catchphrases, and style. If you want to become great friends with them, one of the quickest ways to their heart is giving them presents. But just like in real life, picking out the perfect gift can be tricky. Luckily we've got a guide to help make your choices easier. Here are tips for giving out the best villager gifts.

How to give gifts

You build up a relationship with your villagers over time by talking to them regularly. Make sure to check in with everyone living in your village at least once a day. As a bonus, chatting with them might reveal some hints about the game or prompt them to give you a gift of a DIY recipe. Just make sure not to annoy them by talking to them too much. As a rule, you should probably back off after about five conversations.

Once you've spent enough time with each villager, you'll start seeing a prompt to give them a gift. You can give one gift each day, so make sure to make them count! Every gift has a point value, which will help you build up your friendship score faster and get you closer to becoming best friends. Villagers start at a friendship rank of 25 points and can get up to 200 points with enough care. On the other hand, ignoring your villagers or giving them bad gifts can lower their scores and eventually cause them to leave the island.

Wrap your presents

Animal Crossing villagers love to know you put in some extra effort when picking out a gift for them, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by wrapping their presents. You can buy wrapping colors of various colors from Nook's Corner for 160 Bells and select it in your inventory to wrap up your gift of choice. Unfortunately, once you've wrapped it, there's no easy way to tell what's inside, so if you have a gift you're planning on giving to a specific villager, it's up to you to remember! Wrapping your present adds one point to the value.

Gifts that are good for everyone

Your villagers aren't super picky about presents and will appreciate lots of different types. You'll earn two points for giving any villager a bug, flower, tool, or music. Furniture will earn you three points. Providing an umbrella to most villagers will earn you two points, but frogs like being wet and will only give you one point for the gift. You'll also receive one point for giving just about anything else like fruit or shells. Higher value items increase the chance of providing you with something back like Bells or a different item.

Avoid giving empty cans, spoiled turnips, or other junk as this will insult the villager and reduce your relationship by two points. You may also want to avoid furniture, bugs, flowers, and insects as there's a chance that your villager will put them on display in their homes. Their homes all start with a unique and very coordinated look but can turn into a chaotic mess if you don't give carefully. If you do like seeing your gifts shown, but don't want to disrupt your villagers' decor, one of the best things you can share is clothing.

Clothing styles

In addition to having their own personality types, every villager has clothing colors and styles that they prefer. If you give them gifts that meet these criteria, you'll earn two points, and they'll also put the apparel on if they can. Villagers can only equip tops and dress-up items, plus some headwear and accessories. If you give them something that doesn't suit their style, you'll just get one point, and they won't wear it. Color is obvious, but the clothing style is really up to interpretation. Like so many things in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it's not super well explained, so you'll just try to use your best judgment.

While you get points for giving gifts every day, your presents will have the most impact on your villager's birthday. Here's a month-by-month guide to every villager's special day and what you can bring to really delight them.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Best villager gifts

Now you have a better idea of what to give your favorite villagers in Animal Crossing. This is just one of many features that makes this one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch. Have fun surprising them with the things you know they'll like most.

Finally! The moment that all Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans have been waiting for has come. When the last huge free update came to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Brewster has arrived. Well, almost. If you want this coffee-lovin' pigeon on your island, you're going to have to take a few steps to get him. Don't worry; we have you covered. Here's how to bring Brewster and the Roost to your island paradise.

Who is Brewster?

This bird and his cafe were some of the last things added to Animal Crossing: New Horizons with the last big update that the game received. 

Brewster is an NPC who was first introduced in Animal Crossing: Wild World. He's a blue rock dove, otherwise known as a pigeon, and he's identified by his distinct look: small round glasses, black mustache, and butler-esque style. He also has the voice of a grumpy villager. Brewster may be a bit stand-offish at first, but he's very friendly once you get to know him. Plus, he's always around to serve up piping hot beverages for your villager and everyone else in your quaint little town.

This sharp-dresser can be found working at the Roost Café in New Horizons. Players can freely enjoy a piping hot cup of coffee alone or with animal friends if they have the right Animal Crossing amiibo cards and figures! 

How to find Brewster in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Before you can start sipping a piping hot cup o' joe, there are a few things you need to do, like get Brewster to come to your island.

• You need to have at least a three-star rating on your island. Head to Resident Services and ask Isabelle for your island evaluation to find out.
• Make sure you have the art wing added to the museum.
• Have one of each item donated to the museum. Have at least one fossil, bug, sea creature, fish, and work of art.

After you download the latest update, boot up your game, and let's get started!

1. After loading your save, head over to the museum. Blathers will be waiting with a thought bubble floating above his head. He's looking for a way to drum up more patronage for the museum.

2. Blathers will bring up his long-time friend, Brewster, and ask you to search for him. He'll provide you with a photo, tell you of Brewster's love for gyroids, and that he is off searching for them.

3. Head to the dock and talk to Kapp'n.
   • Make sure you have 1000 Nook Miles for a Boat Mystery Tour, and head out.

4. Once you arrive, explore the island until you spot Brewster and talk to him.

5. If you mention you're looking for gyroids, he will hand you a fragment and tell you how to care for a gyroid. If you tell him that he's the one you're searching for, he will respond in a very precise way and finish the conversation with, "Well then, be seeing you..."

3. Once you've finished speaking with Brewster and completed the rest of your business on the island, you can head back to Kapp'n and return to your island and go talk with Blathers at the museum. He'll tell you that the museum will be closed the next day for renovations. 

7. The next day, Isabelle will announce that the museum is undergoing construction to make way for the new cafe.

6. Play the waiting game and the very next day, you will have access to the Roost!

That's all there is to it. Now you can head into this swanky watering hole and enjoy some rich brews with your friends and fellow villagers.

What to do in the Roost

So, now that you've got your coffee shop, what can you do? Well, the Roost is open 24/7 for your coffee needs. You can pop by and drop 200 bells on a delightful beverage. You can people watch as your favorite NPCs cycle in and out of the cafe, and you can even call characters to the coffee shop provided you have the amiibo using the amiibo Call Center.

You can also invite your friends, and the whole gang can enjoy a piping hot cup over some crazy emotes. If you do invite a group, make sure you're not the last to sit. The final person has the option of paying for the group, splitting the bill, or getting an invoice. Sadly, if you don't have the money, some of your friends will be drinking water.

That's not all. As you purchase coffee daily and drink it hot as "intended," Brewster will give you the option of taking coffee to-go. You can also eventually add pigeon milk if you really want to. Coffee to-go costs a bit more, though, at 300 bells a cup. Eventually, he'll even give you a few recipes, like one for cookies shaped like our favorite winged barista.

Order up!

And at long last, the pigeon has come home to Roost. (I'm so sorry.) Now that he's here, we can wait to relax and people watch. Sadly, Brewster is part of the last free update coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but we still have Happy Home Paradise to look forward to. So, how about a cup of joe? 

When you think about cheating, it's usually not a very honorable vision. People pull the rug out from under others, change the rules, and nobody has a good time. But changing the rules isn't always a bad thing, especially if you're the only one the rules affect. While it may be obvious in multiplayer games where cheaters win every match, it can be trickier to discern what cheating means in single-player games. 

Dragging the wool over hopeful eyes

Everyone knows what cheating is — we've been told that cheating is bad, and we all know people who do it anyway. In essence, I define "cheating" two ways: One, as the act of choosing to circumvent or manipulate the set rules otherwise agreed upon by everyone else so as to give oneself an unfair advantage. Or, two, to navigate around the way a developer intended for a game to be played.

It's easy to see how this works in games like Splatoon 2. Using mods, or modifications (to a game), players can change aspects of their games that those with non-hacked Nintendo Switch systems can't. Many players use mods for harmless purposes such as changing their ink color to match their character's aesthetic, removing the music to help them concentrate better, or even tweaking the look of their Inklings and Octolings. 

The real problem arises when players bring certain mods into multiplayer that make the game unfair. These mods can range from giving a player's weapon a higher fire rate or further range to shooting through walls, or allowing a character to climb walls they shouldn’t. Others may allow a player to zoom out the in-game camera to let them see more of the map, or completely rig the game in their favor so that they win even when the other team has inked more turf. Some of these mods can be achieved with the "Reinkify" tool, but it would be disingenuous to paint all Reinkify players as cheaters who ruin online multiplayer for everyone.

The issue of hackers can also be found in games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Players can give themselves a continuous Starman to remain invincible, throw endless items, be able to float in mid-air, and drive anywhere on the map without being turned back by Lakitu. You can see an example of this below:

What's frustrating is that getting rid of malicious cheaters can be tedious. The only way to report cheaters in Splatoon 2 is through the Nintendo Switch Online app, which may involve extra steps that some can't be bothered to go through. 

For cheaters in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it's even more complicated, with players needing to go through Nintendo's customer support to report unfair behavior. This means that cheaters will often go either unnoticed or unreported, as victims of unfair game environments may often be too tired or frustrated with the situation to go through the trouble of reporting. In a sense, I can understand, because there's no guarantee the cheater will be reprimanded, so after all that fuss, your efforts may be in vain.

Rules about rules about rules

Cheating in single-player games can look a little different though, and its definition is reduced to circumventing the vision held by the game's creator for the players' experience. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, what counts as "cheating" is quite controversial. For some, the idea of "time traveling," where players advance their progress to the next day by changing their console's clock forward or backward, is considered "cheating," because it's not how the game was intended to be played. 

Personally, I don't time travel unless it's an in-game holiday that I'd miss because of social obligations like Toy Day, but other people's time traveling for months at a time doesn't bother me at all. The point of the game is to curate your own experience and play at your own pace — the idea that time traveling "ruins" the experience for everyone else is something I never understood. 

The same goes for people hacking their islands to add features that would otherwise be impossible, such as adding a fourth level for terraforming, placing furniture items in the river and ocean, using decorative items only found on the Happy Home Paradise archipelago, or hacking materials like star fragments onto trees. You can see an example of this below:

People got so upset at star fragment trees and hacked islands that they banded together to mass report them to Nintendo. The ability to spawn star fragment trees has now been patched out, and some players got their islands banned, even if they received hacked items as gifts and didn't have hacked games themselves. Other hacked islands are thriving still, like the "treasure islands" that host parties where people can collect materials, currency, and items that they don't have on their own island.

This kind of cheating is not similar in any way to the kind that could actually harm other players in past games, like the "bad seeds" that malicious players could plant on other islands, disrupting their gameplay. In New Leaf, some cheaters could hack furniture items directly into the game, preventing unsuspecting players from leaving the multiplayer island unless they pay a ransom. The vast majority of cheaters in current Animal Crossing games either want to progress at their own pace or decorate their islands to best suit their personal style.

You can sit with us (Terms and Conditions apply)

Some kinds of cheating are, interestingly enough, seen as acceptable, and are even celebrated. Namely, speedrunning. Though I'm sure many wouldn't consider speedrunning cheating, it fits in the aforementioned definition. Speedrunning is a type of play style where players, also called "speedrunners" or "runners," use a series of shortcuts or manipulated code to finish a game as soon as possible within a set of parameters. These parameters include any% where getting to the end credits is the only goal, collecting 100% of the collectible items, or any other set of player-defined rules.

Speedrunning, naturally, goes against the way developers intended players to experience the game. The world record for the Pokémon Yellow any% run is less than 1.5 minutes long, for example, which is not nearly enough time to catch 'em all. Some developers lean into it, though, and design their games to be speedrunner friendly. The art of speedrunning is quite impressive, though, even shocking some developers.

There are even Animal Crossing speedruns, where players time travel and exploit mechanics to do things like making enough money to pay off their loans. So what is the difference? We can clearly see here that runners aren't bragging about their process, and them having finished the game's main goal in under two hours doesn't prevent anyone from playing at their own pace. It seems that the discourse around cheating in single-player games like Animal Crossing is more based on the need for control rather than keeping the players' best interests at heart.

It's complicated

Animal Crossing is, of course, a game without competitive elements. Others, like some of the best Pokémon games, have a substantial single-player campaign, but also have a competitive scene where players can bring the Pokémon they've raised into battle. 

Pokémon themselves aren't much more than strings of numbers, which can be easily changed with tools like PKHeX. Players can change their Pokémon's gender, stats, moves, and even turn them into shiny Pokémon. I've made minimal changes to Pokémon I own in past games, like their gender or their nickname if I received them in a trade. But I don't play outside of the main campaign, so these alterations don't affect anybody.

Competitive Pokémon play does have measures in place to ensure that a Pokémon isn't "illegal," or has stats and moves that are impossible to obtain through regular play. Pokémon HOME is very strict about "illegal" hacked Pokémon — so much so that people can have their accounts banned from online play or from using Pokémon HOME in general. This is true even if you deposit an illegal Pokémon you have received in a Wonder Trade, you don't have to have hacked the Pokémon yourself.

But that doesn't stop anyone from making changes to their Pokémon that are just within the legal range in order to bypass the legality checks. Of course, this type of cheating isn't ethical, but I won't pretend like modifications such as speeding up the intro in Pokémon upon replaying the game puts anyone at a disadvantage.

Them's not the rules!

Some people argue against modifying your games because it goes against the developer's intent for how the game should be played. I think it's a bit more nuanced than that. People have a right to modify their own hardware and software within set parameters for their own personal use. 

For some, modifications and playing outside of developer intent means that they can finally play in a way that represents who they are. For Sims players like Ebonix, modding the game meant that she was able to better creatively express herself because the available tools in the base game were not representative. Over time, as awareness was raised, she was able to work with developers like EA to improve the options for those on other platforms.

Lack of diversity and customization options are a common reason for modding, and I've personally experienced it in games like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, where fair skin tones were the default and any tanning would disappear after a few days.

Modding and cheats can also fix issues that developers may not have had in mind or been able to get to. Aspects like bugs or a lack of accessibility options can be fixed through mods and playing the game in a way contrary to what the developers envisioned, but all it means is that more people get to enjoy more games. Everyone deserves to enjoy games, and mods and cheats in single-player games have helped facilitate that.

Games are what you make them

Cheating in multiplayer games creates an unfair advantage for a subset of players, unbeknownst to non-cheaters, which can frustrate them and ruin their experience. It also allows cheaters to circumvent the skill development necessary to get to a certain point in a game or achieve a certain objective. Though there's no way to determine whether this takes away from a player's sense of achievement, it is unfair to everyone else playing.

The lines blur a bit when it comes to single-player games, however. Players who are burnt out or bored of a game can experience it in a new way by breaking the rules or using mods. Disabled players, for whom a game could be otherwise out of reach, can potentially use cheats or modified software or hardware to make a game accessible. For games with unaddressed bugs, cheats or mods may fix them, allowing players to progress where they otherwise wouldn't be able to. And in terms of some modifications, it allows for player-created content to be added to the game, fuelling creativity and fostering communities. For people playing games on their own, they should be allowed to make the most of their experience, even if it's a bit unconventional.

Nintendo announced the Series 5 amiibo that were specially made for Animal Crossing: New Horizons toward the end of its October 2021 Animal Crossing Direct. Series 5 includes 48 new cards, showcasing both new renders of NPCs in New Horizons as well as new villagers introduced in the 2.0 update. Previous series were 100 cards, so collecting less than half of that will be a lot easier than before. If you're interested in collecting, here's how you can get started!

Animal Crossing amiibo What are they for?

Series 5 released on Nov. 5, 2021, alongside the free 2.0 update and the Happy Home Paradise paid DLC. Players can use amiibo cards at the Photopia facility on Harvey's Island to call villagers and NPCs to the Roost Café located in the museum, to build vacation homes in the Happy Home Paradise archipelago, and to invite villagers to their island's campsite.

Animal Crossing amiibo How many come in a pack?

Although there are 48 cards in the new series, packs of cards sold in North America include six cards. Those sold in Europe and Japan include three. No matter where you buy genuine Series 5 amiibo cards from, one card will be a holographic NPC card, while the rest are matte villager cards.

The cards in each pack are randomly selected. You will have to keep purchasing these packs until you collect all 48. Or, alternatively, you can find the complete pack of 48 cards through a third-party, such as Amazon, but be wary of homemade cards.

Animal Crossing amiibo How much do they cost?

Each pack of six cards costs $6. So far, pages have gone live at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Nintendo's site. While pages may not always have stock, we'll keep you updated when restocks happen. You can also buy the complete mini 48-card pack on sites such as the aforementioned Amazon for a much higher price point.

But note that they aren't true amiibo cards; they are third-party NFC cards that have the same function as amiibos. Prices for these complete packs seem to start at around $49. Again, before purchasing, be sure to read up on homemade cards.

Animal Crossing amiibo Which games are they compatible with?

Source: Nintendo (screenshot)

It's worth noting that Series 5 Animal Crossing amiibo cards will not work with Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo 3DS, or Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival on the Wii U. They can only be used in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Scanning incompatible amiibo cards into a game that doesn't support them could cause your game to crash and/or save data to be corrupted. Only use this series of amiibo with Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch.

Animal Crossing amiibo Can I buy homemade cards?

If you're purchasing amiibo cards on the secondhand market, be wary of people who may be selling homemade amiibo cards, which are usually printed on PVC plastic in the shape of an amiibo card and include an NFC chip containing the amiibo data for your respective villager.

While homemade amiibo will technically work on your island, you don't want to fall for a scam where you pay scalper prices for something that isn't even genuine. After all, some amiibo can be quite expensive to purchase secondhand, so you want to make the best purchase always.

Collect them all

Animal Crossing amiibo cards are a great way to enhance your gameplay. And if you're a collector by nature, it's fun to keep purchasing packs until you collect them all! Keep checking retailers' sites to see when they restock, or purchase them all in one shot via a third-party site. Just be wary of homemade cards that come with scalper prices. Otherwise, enjoy your new collection!

If you've been playing Animal Crossing for a while, you might have come across a little beaver named C.J. This guy is obsessed with both fish and live streaming and will often issue you challenges for catching specific water dwellers. If you complete his challenges, you can sell fish to him for 150% of the Bells you'd get from Nook's Cranny. But that's not all he does.

C.J. hosts Fishing Tourneys on your island multiple times throughout the year. You can earn awesome Fish Swag and even some trophies for participating. Here's everything you need to know about these special competitions, along with how to catch the most fish while participating in them. Learn more and see why this is one of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time.

NOTE: If the Fishing Tourney happens during the Bunny Day event, then using fish bait ensures that you catch a fish and not a Water egg.

When is the next Fishing Tourney?

The Fishing Tourney occurs on your island multiple times each year. Here are the dates for all 2022 Fishing Tourneys.

What to do for the Fishing Tourney

On Animal Crossing's Fishing Tourney days, C.J. will set up a stand in front of Resident Services. All you have to do is talk to C.J. and tell him you want to participate in the Fish Tourney. The first time you participate in the Fishing Tourney, you'll be able to do so for free. However, every time after that, you'll need to pay 500 Bells to participate.

Fishing Tourney Rules

The consensus is that it's tough to catch more than 10 fish during a Fishing Tourney session. As such, you're likely to make 12 points or less in one go. This is how the scoring system works. 

• You must catch as many fish as possible within a three-minute window.
• You'll receive points for each fish you catch during this time. You get one point per fish. Once you've caught a total of three fish, two additional bonus points get added to your total.
• You use the points to purchase special merchandise from C.J's stand in front of Resident Services.